Ratchet hand tool



May 29, 1923.

1,45%,692 J. M. HARGRAVE I RATCHET HAND -TO0L Filed Oct. 22, 1919 arrow;

Patented May 29, 1923.

i E ii A JOHN M. HARGRAVE, F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RATCHET HAND TOOL.

Application filed October 22, 1919. Serial No. 332,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M.' HARGRAVE, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ratchet Hand Tools, ofwhich the following specification is a full disclosure.

This inventionv relates to ratchet handles for hand tools such as screwdrivers and to devices of this class, operable in either forward orreverse direction of rotation, or rigidly connected with the shank ofthe tool.

An object of the invention is to provide a pivoted latch or detent, thatwill lock the pawls either in or out of their operative positions withthe ratchet, and the latch or detent so arranged and constructed that itwill be sustained in its set position until again manually operated bythe user.

A further object is to provide an assembly of the parts ofthetool,whereby the same are held in their operative positions by a singlefastening device, which forms a pivot for the latch or detent and holdsthe cover plate in position. 7

An additional object is to provide a form of 'coverplate that willenclose all the working elements of the device and which will,

39 by its formation and positioning, positively hold the tool shankengaged within the handle.

Other objects are to provide a handle, placed at a right angle to thelong'axis of the tool, and to so position the locking-and reversingmeans, that the lever of the same, when the said handle is held as inuse, will be directly beneath the index finger of the operator, enablinghim to readily set the to same to its various positions.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in thisspecification and will be specifically pointed out in the claim hereuntoappended, and reference to the at drawings, which form a part of myspecification, will be made. Like numerals refer to corresponding partsthroughout the drawings, in which: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation, a portion of the casing being broken awayto expose 'a portion of one of the locking plates or pawls, and aportion of the spring coaot-ing therewith.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the handle of my device,the tool and its ratchet wheel being shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the tool shank and cover casing, online 3-3 of Figure 2, the other parts being shown in elevation.

, Figure 4 is an elevation of the cover plate, and contiguous parts, thetool shank or stock being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the angular relations of thepivoted latch ordetent in one of its pawl cooperating po sltions, to itspivot and toone of the pawls.

Figure 6 is a face view of the head or base for supportin the workingelements.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a head or base portion 1, ofsubstantially rectangular form, provided at one side with an outstandingcylindrical boss 2, designed to fit into a socket 3 of a handle 4,placed at a right angle to the long axis of the tool, and the baseportion is further provided on the same side with a relatively thinoutstanding arcuate wing or web 5, continuous with the boss 2,projecting below the same, and designed to enter a similarly shaped slot6 of the handle 4 to which it is fastened by a cross-pin 7. The handle 4thus may be made of wood although the head and handle portion maybeintegral and of the same material.

The head 1 is bored at 8 for the reception of the ratchet wheel 9, asshown herein, formed as an integral part of the tool stock or bit 10,and the said head is counter-bored at 11, for the reception of a reducedcylindrical projection 12 of the stockor bit 10. The head 1 has aninverted substantially T-shaped outstanding projectionlS, to provideopposite pockets 14 for the rigid ratchet plates or pawls 15 ofrectangular form, 00 acting respectively at one of their extremitieswith the ratchet-Wheel 9, and at the other, are shaped to provide knifeedges 16 resting upon shoulders 17 of the T-shaped projection 13.

As a result of the formation and positioning of the T-shaped projection13, reentrant spaces or pockets 14 are formed at each side thereof, forthe reception of the pawls 15, and of bowed springs 19, the springscoacting with said pawls to force them into engagement with theratchetwheel 9, when released by the detent,

The cover plate 20 has, in face View, the

.form of an isosceles trapezoid, flush with the face end of the head,and is provided at its convergent sides with inturned flanges 21,socketed into the opposite sides of the head .by fitting into notches 22at the top face of the contiguous faces respectively of the ratchetwheel 9 and of a cylindrical grip-portion of the stock 10, from. whichthe tool projects, the upper portion of the coverplate 20 acting to lockthe said tool and its ratchet-wheel securely inv assembled positio-n.v i

The pawls 15 are alternately actuated for engagement with theratchet-wheel 9, by a locking and reversing detent of uniqueconstruction. Said detent represents a sheet metal stamping having abody portion 31 of substantially triangular configuration, and a handleportion 82, bent toproject through an arcuate opening 33 in thecover-plate 20, and the said body portion 31 is drilled for thereception of a pivot-screw 3 1, threaded to coact withv a similarlythreaded opening 35 in the head 1. A washer 36 is interposed between thedetent 30 and the cover-plate 20, and is provided With openings 37 and38 respectively, for the reception of the pivot-screw 34:, and for thehandle portion 31 ofthe detent'30. This screw pivots the detent 30 andfastens the, cover-plate in position; the said cover-plate in turnhouses the detent and its co-related pawls and springs, and holds theparts together, allowing free rotation of the ratchet,'but preventingaxial movement thereof.

Referring to Figure 5 it will be discerned that the detent 30 ispositioned centrally between the two pawls 15, and on each side of itscentral'axis (a), and parallel to the axis and equi-distant' therefrom,the detent is side faces and an acute angle (c) is thus formed betweenthe line (cl) drawn through the center 'of the pivot, and through thepoint of contactof the corners side faces of the said pawls. By thisarrangement the pressure of the springs upon the pawls tends always tolock the detent in operative position. I

' The corner 41 which is *not inengagement with its pawl, contacts anundercut surface 14 of the head 1 to limit the rotation of the detent30'.

l The paw bers and when engaged with the ratchet wheel act as a'braceagainst rotation'of the wheel and are capable of resisting heavy wheelturning strains.

Having describedmy invention, '1 claim: In a device of the classdescribed, a handle providing a counterbor efin one face thereof, atool'providing circumferential ratchet teeth adjacent one end thereof,said end; and teeth rotatively stepped' in said counterbore, with saidtool at right angles to said handle, spring pressed pawls engageablesimultane ously andindependently with said ratchet teeth, pivoted meansfor controlling 'said pawls, and'a coverenclosing and: retaining saidpawls,-springs, and latch, andhengaging the said ratchet teeth, toretainsaid tool in its counterbore, theplvotfor said controlling meansengaging and securing said cover. I i g In witness whereof, I hereuntosubscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses. 1

JOHN M. HARGRAVE; "Witnesses:

L. A.-Bncn, M. S. BARRON.

41, and the I ls being rigid, non-flexible mem-

